A fresh claim has emerged about Harry Kane's future under Antonio Conte at Tottenham Hotspur this week...
What's the word?
In the summer, the 28-year-old was linked with a move to Premier League champions Manchester City, though it failed to materialise despite Pep Guardiola's very public interest in the Spurs talisman.
ESPN have since failed to rule out the Citizens returning in the future but according to transfer insider Dean Jones of Eurosport, there is no chance of the England international leaving in January.
"I'm told he’s staying now at this point," he revealed to 'The Done Deal Show'.
"He’s obviously found it difficult to get over the fact he didn't get his transfer in the summer.
"If the Nuno [Espirito Santo] situation would have continued, then we might have had a problem. There was never actually any issue between Kane and Nuno, it's not like there was any friction between them; Kane just got on with his job and tried to fit into what Nuno was trying to do.
"Ultimately, he wasn't getting the ball enough, though, and Tottenham’s style of play didn't suit him, so they've had to change that.
"I'm told that he's much more optimistic about Conte turning this team around. He feels it’s as good a chance as any of Tottenham getting a reboot and trying to win stuff under Conte, because he's got such a reputation of doing so.
"So right now, I think that Harry Kane, there's no chance of him leaving in January, as far as I can tell."
Conte boost
Kane has been out of sorts for the Lilywhites all campaign, scoring just once in eight league appearances, but there will be some hope of a return to form following back-to-back hat-tricks for England in midweek.
There's no denying that the long-serving Hotspur Way graduate is imperative to the club, having contributed towards 54.4% of all their top-flight goals last season and regularly hit 24 or more goals in every season since 2014/15.
He will continue to be a crucial member of the squad and it is no secret that Conte hugely admires Kane, too. He reportedly didn't want to take the job in the summer without the 6 foot 2 frontman remaining at the club.
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Whilst in charge of arch-rivals Chelsea back in 2017, the 52-year-old made quite the revelation. "For me, Kane, now is one of the best strikers in the world," he said (via Sky Sports).
"If I had to buy one striker I would go to Kane. He is a complete striker. He is strong physically, with the ball, without the ball, he fights and he's strong in the air and acrobatic on the right and the left.
"He's a complete player. He's one of the top strikers in the world."
Under Nuno, the Premier League marksman looked like a dejected and frustrated figure, so it's certainly encouraging to see that he's a lot more optimistic about the club under the Italian instead.
That should hand Conte a massive boost as his star striker is going to look a lot more committed to Spurs and that could help him return to the prolific goalscoring form we've seen over the years.
The stern Italian must be delighted by such claims that there is "no chance" of a Kane exit in the near future heading into the final few months of the year.
AND in other news, Conte suffers major Spurs injury blow ahead of Leeds clash...